UPS Reduces NASCAR Primary Sponsorship To One Race In 2012

Another one of NASCAR’s full-season sponsors is cutting back.

UPS announced Thursday morning it has extended its official relationship with NASCAR, but also said it will reduce its primary sponsorship of race cars from 36 events per year to just one.

The only time UPS will appear as the primary paint scheme on a Sprint Cup car in 2012 will be at the Kentucky Speedway race, where the company will sponsor Carl Edwards. It will also be an associate sponsor on Edwards’ car for the entire season.

UPS had been the full-season primary sponsor of a Cup car since 2001, when started a long relationship with driver Dale Jarrett.

The company followed Jarrett from Robert Yates Racing to Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007, where Jarrett struggled along with the rest of the organization.

Jarrett turned over the keys of the UPS car to David Reutimann in 2008, but the sponsor decided to leave after the season and back youngster David Ragan at Roush Fenway Racing instead.

Following three disappointing seasons with Ragan, UPS is now cutting back. With no sponsor, there seems to be little chance for Ragan to return to Roush next season.

“We are always evaluating ways to refine and enhance all of our sponsorship programs to ensure they are aligned with our business strategy and objectives,” UPS vice president Ron Rogowski said. “While we’re making some changes to our racing program in 2012, we are confident UPS’s ongoing association with NASCAR and Roush Fenway Racing will continue to present new and meaningful opportunities for UPS, our customers and employees.”

The departure of UPS as a full-season primary sponsor follows reductions of other companies like Home Depot, General Mills, Aflac and DuPont.

It’s becoming clear the days of companies shelling out $20-25 million to sponsor 36 races are coming to an end. There are very few full-season sponsors left at this point. Some of those include Lowe’s, Miller Lite and Napa. In addition, Shell/Pennzoil and FedEx have a primary sponsorship in nearly every race, but not all.